1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a door and hinge construction of the type used with sliding overhead door panels, which panels are mounted between and move vertically in roller tracks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Overhead doors have been in use for many years, are often used with truck and van bodies, and offer many advantages over swinging doors. Overhead doors can be of lighter weight, and becuase they move vertically up out of the way, do not reduce useful space, and do not require sidewise clearance for opening and closing as is necessary for side mounted swinging doors. Overhead door constructions in use typically involve a plurality of panels hinged together by strap hinges which are bolted through the panels, with strap hinges at the panel ends carrying rollers which are carried in tracks that extend along the sides and up under the roof of the supporting structure, such as a truck or van body.
Bolting through the panels is unsatisfactory as it weakens and panels, offers points at which the weather can enter and deteriorate the panels, as well as providing an uneven surface which reduces the area for decal application, and requires a solid heavy panel construction to support the bolts. Such door panels are usually provided at their meeting edges with some type of interlocking arrangement, in order to seal the interior of the structure on which they are mounted, but most such structure are often unsatisfactory as they leak and suffer from other problems. The door and hinge construction of the invention does not suffer from the problems of the prior art and offers many positive advantages.